The invention relates to flat trowel carriers and to trowel combinations therewith.
So-called "flat trowels" are well known in the art and include the cement finisher's trowel, the plasterer's trowel, the drywall taper's trowel and the tile setter's trowel among others. These flat trowels are characterized as having a generally rectangular metal blade or working component and an elongated handle that is offset from the rear face of the blade and thereat fixed apart from the blade by means of a bracket that is fixed to the blade and provided with a single neck piece through which one end of the handle is attached to the blade. This handle mounting arrangement permits the worker to grasp the handle by a simple movement in which the thumb passes over and the remaining fingers pass beneath the heel end of the handle in assuming the handle grasping position on the tool.
The need frequently arises for a worker to set aside the flat trowel so as to have both hands free for some other task, or to be able to use some other trowel in the task at hand and for which the flat trowel is less suited for use. A body carrier is a desirable place to temporarily store the tool so that it will be readily available when next needed. However, the flat trowels are bulky instruments and one of the problems which is involved in providing a suitable carrier or receptacle for receiving the flat trowel is the fact that the flat trowel has a broad blade width which renders it difficult to insert the blade in an opening which is defined by flexible materials. The applicant has designed a flat trowel carrier which is admirably suited for use during most assigned tasks that involve the use of a flat trowel. The opening through which the trowel is received on the carrier is defined in that instance by a metal retaining element. However, as it is suspended in the carrier, there is such little resistance to withdrawal of the trowel from the carrier that the trowel may be dislodged from the carrier fairly easily by any upwardly directed sharp blow on an exposed part of the trowel. The inadvertent dislodging of the flat trowel from the carrier at ground level creates no real safety problem. However, if this happens while the worker is on scaffolding, those working on the ground in the vicinity of the scaffolding are placed in jeopardy of being injured if the flat trowel falls from the worker's high level support. As such, there is need for a flat trowel carrier which is structured to make it difficult for the trowel to be accidentally removed. Apart from the need for a carrier which may be safely used at the elevated work areas, the need exists for a suitable carrier for the flat trowel and which is also adapted to carry one or more of the other trowels that are frequently needed for completing an assigned task. Typical of such other trowels are the pointing, duckbill and margin trowels that have a pointed or narrow toed blade. These trowels are much smaller than the flat trowels and are characterized among other things by a handle which is offset rearwardly from the heel of the pointed or narrow toed blade involved in the structure of the auxiliary instrument.